Patrick Davis, of ProgressNow New Mexico, said the Facebook post shows how out of touch the wealthy Pearce is with his constituents. Roll Call ranks Pearce the 46th richest member of Congress, with an estimated worth of about $8 million.

“His constituents are among the poorest in the country, so going to the bank to take out a quick signature loan is not an option,” Davis said in a statement. “We urge New Mexicans to call Pearce and ask for a loan from him. He’s one of the richest millionaires in Congress. If he thinks private loans are the answer, he should be the first to offer them.”

Patty Konietzky thought the small purple lesion on her husband’s ankle was a spider bite. But when the lesion quickly spread across his body like a constellation, she knew something wasn’t right.

After a trip to the hospital and a day and a half later, Konietzky’s 59-year-old husband was dead.

The diagnosis: vibrio vulnificus (vih-BREE’-oh VUHL’-nihf-ih-kus), an infection caused by a bacteria found in warm salt water. It’s in the same family of bacterium that causes cholera. So far this year, 31 people across Florida have been infected by the severe strain of vibrio, and 10 have died.

“I thought the doctors would treat him with antibiotics and we’d go home,” said Konietzky, who lives in Palm Coast, Fla. “Never in a million years it crossed my mind that this is where I’d be today.”

State health officials say there are two ways to contract the disease: by eating raw, tainted shellfish — usually oysters — or when an open wound comes in contact with bacteria in warm seawater.